


To Change the World

by Tedronai



Series: The End of an Age [7]
Category: Wheel of Time - Robert Jordan
Genre: Age of Legends, Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-11-19
Updated: 2013-11-19
Packaged: 2018-01-02 02:48:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,725
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1051629
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tedronai/pseuds/Tedronai
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p><i>“So you are still planning to go through with it.”</i><br/>“I see no reason not to."<br/>“The Great Lord will be pleased, I should imagine.”</p><p> </p><p>Elan Morin shares the day before his announcement to the Hall of Servants with an unlikely companion. And the night.</p>
            </blockquote>





	To Change the World

**Author's Note:**

> //This has been completely edited July 17th 2016 to be consistent with my headcanon of Balthamel's gender identity. RJ messed up with Aran'gar, and for my headcanon and fic purposes I've made Eval Ramman nonbinary (and, unrelated, slightly less of a douche). There are some other changes, too, because it was painfully obvious that this was one of my first Forsaken fics, but now it should be presentable again...

It was a late morning on a sunny midsummer day. The air was warm, with but a gentle breeze, and it promised to be an exceptionally lovely day. Eval Ramman leaned back in their chair, stretching their legs before them, ankles crossed, and picked up another slice of pear from the plate of fruits on the table. They resisted the urge to check the time; it wouldn’t do to appear impatient, even if they were being made to wait. They wondered idly if they should have picked another place for this meeting. It was not that they were going to attract any special level of attention with their companion; they were a regular enough sight in the Ansaline Gardens with their various acquaintances of all genders… However, they rarely waited on anyone, and the fact that they were doing so now was bound to be noted. And all things considered, they weren’t sure it was wise to be remembered seen in the company of Elan Morin Tedronai at this time.

 _If_ the man ever showed up.

Eval took a long draught of their wine and spared a lazy smile to a pair of young ladies passing by, pretty things with their high heels and shimmering dresses that left the ankles bare. Both smiled back but neither slowed their steps, and soon they vanished from sight. Eval spent a moment trying to remember their names; they’d been acquainted once upon a time, a night out clubbing and then going back to the redheaded one’s place once the club closed. She’d had an extensive library for such a small apartment.

Eval shook their head, smiling wryly into their glass. That had been a pleasant night, but it had been years ago now and they should be thinking of other matters. They waved for a waitress to fill their glass and thanked her with a polite smile. Merely polite; the waitresses in this place had to tolerate enough unsolicited flirting on a daily basis and Eval didn’t want to add to that. They had worked in customer service before, thankfully long ago, but they could still remember what it was like.

 

They were, however, spared a further trip down the memory lane because then they saw the man they’d been waiting for approaching. Tedronai stood like a sore thumb out among the Gardens’ clientele; he appeared to follow no fashion movements, and his suit of stark black was, while undeniably elegant in some oddly timeless way, some three decades out of fashion. Eval tilted their head, watching the man with an appraising look; they had to admit that black suited Tedronai in a way that the richest, most expertly chosen shades of colour never would. Perhaps the choice of black was not indicative of indifference towards fashion, after all, but of a very specific kind of vanity? Then again, with Tedronai, it was impossible to tell.

 

“You’re late,” Eval said in a lazy drawl, gesturing to the waitress again. “Wine for my companion. And…” They arched an eyebrow at Tedronai. “Have you eaten?” The man didn’t look like he had slept, at least; he had dark shadows under his eyes, all the more noticeable for the paleness of his skin, and his eyes were slightly bloodshot.

Tedronai shook his head. “I don’t want anything.”

“Wine,” Eval repeated, waving the waitress away. They devoured another slice of pear while the waitress brought another glass and a pitcher of wine; the fruit’s juice trickled down their chin and they grimaced, wiping it away with a napkin. Once the waitress was gone again, they turned back to their companion. “Lovely day, is it not?”

“As far as weather goes, I suppose,” Elan replied blandly. He frowned at the wine before raising the glass to his lips; it seemed that his hand was shaking slightly as he did so.

“So…” Eval swirled the wine in their own glass. “Second thoughts?” they asked in a low voice. That earned them a sharp look filled with such contempt that they blinked in surprise; Tedronai did not usually express his feelings in such an obvious manner. “I’ll take that as a no,” they continued. “So you are still planning to go through with it.”

“I see no reason not to,” Tedronai replied with a small, eloquent shrug.

Eval let out a soft chuckle and shook their head incredulously; Tedronai _saw no reason not to_ announce his allegiance to the Great Lord of the Dark in the Hall of Servants? That was priceless. “The Great Lord will be pleased, I should imagine,” Eval remarked when the man did not elaborate further.

Tedronai gave a razor-thin smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “Oh, he will.” The utter confidence in his voice was somewhat unnerving; Tedronai actually claimed to know the Great Lord’s mind? Eval wouldn’t put it past him. Sometimes they wondered whether the man was entirely sane. But then again, the line between insanity and brilliance was an ephemeral thing and Tedronai was quite generally acknowledged as one of the most brilliant minds of the Age.

“Tomorrow?” Eval asked. Tedronai nodded and took another sip of his wine. Eval sighed. “Well, I for one am glad for the warning. There will be… consequences.” They considered for a moment. “Do you wish backup? You’ll be lucky if Lews Therin lets you leave the Hall without a fight. You will be outnumbered, no matter how many Friends of the Dark there are in the Hall already under their very noses?” They allowed a hint of a question into the last bit; even they didn’t know the identities of all the Great Lord’s Chosen.

This time it was Tedronai who chuckled. “You would offer your help? Heartwarming.” The words fair dripped with sarcasm. “But no. That will not be… necessary.” He fixed Eval with a sharp look, appearing more lucid than he had through the meeting so far. “I would say I appreciate the sentiment were the sentiment not more concerned with trying to steal a part of the spotlight.” Then he shrugged again and the distracted, almost dreamy look returned. “Not, of course, that I care either way. It is just that, alas, you will have to work for your… moment.”

The dismissive tone made Eval’s temper flare. “Have I not worked?” they snapped, then remembered where they were and looked around to see if their outburst had attracted any unwanted attention. They drew a steadying breath and made a conscious effort to moderate their tone as they went on, “Have I not been an exemplary Friend of the Dark? Have I not waited for the day when we can openly declare our new Master for all the world? Have I not suffered…” They realised they were raising their voice again and cut off with a hissing breath. “Might I remind you which one of us was almost bound like a common criminal because those blustering fools in the Hall felt _threatened_?”

Tedronai merely watched them, unfazed by the tirade. “The one who was a fool enough to commit petty acts of violence over, what was it again, accusations of cheating at cards?” he countered, sounding almost bored. “ _Really,_ Eval. The Great Lord may appreciate your _efforts_ but if you’re stupid enough to get caught, you will face the consequences on your own. He will most certainly not interfere.”

For a moment Eval pictured themselves shattering the pitcher against the man’s head… Forcing their fists to unclench, they counted to ten before they could trust themselves to pick up their glass without giving in to the urge to destroy something. They drained the wine and set the glass back on the table with a sharp sound. They thought they saw a glint of amusement in Tedronai’s eyes, but it was gone so quickly that they might well have imagined it altogether. “Be that as it may,” they said eventually. “Tomorrow… the world will change.”

Tedronai flashed a smile that bordered on openly condescending. “The world doesn’t change.” He, too, finished his wine — and merely gave a resigned sigh when Eval filled his glass again. “Our perception of the world is the thing that changes,” he continued, ignoring the newly filled glass. “You’re a historian; do I really need to explain this to you?” He waved his hand in a dismissive gesture. “No, don’t answer that.”

Eval refilled their own glass, too, and raised it in a mock salute. “Very well; I stand corrected. Tomorrow, a great many people will have to re-evaluate their perception of the world.”

They tilted their head and flashed a grin. “Better?”

Their companion shrugged. “Good enough.”

“So _very_ glad you approve.”

 

A not quite comfortable silence reigned for some time. Eval was the first to break it. “Do you have plans for the rest of the day?” they asked. “Memorising your speech for tomorrow?” There was something infinitely amusing about making the announcement that would shake the world to its core sound like a trivial thing.

A faint smile tugged at the corners of their companion’s mouth. “Oh, I have my… _speech_ … committed to memory already,” Tedronai replied lightly. “In fact I was thinking of going to see a play; _The Raven and the Rose_ is on for the last week at the Crimson Hall. I’ve heard good things about it.”

Eval gave a short, incredulous laugh. “Really?” they exclaimed. “Oh, very well then; I’ve a mind to accompany you — if you don’t mind?”

“You’re quite free to do whatever you please,” Elan said as he pushed his chair back and stood up. “I shall be the last one to try and stop you from enjoying the fruits of our civilisation… while it lasts.”

Shaking their head, Eval stood up too and fished a few notes from their pocket and placed them on the table; the money covered the cost their breakfast and the wine and left a generous tip. “While it lasts, indeed.”

 

* * *

 

 

The play was about a woman who murdered her lover, but the lover’s soul came back in the shape of a raven to haunt her and eventually guilt drove her to kill herself and the story ended with the raven cackling gleefully over the woman’s lifeless body. All in all, the plot was very predictable and the characters not overly realistic; the woman’s motive for the initial murder was never explored in any depth, and personally Eval couldn’t see why she was driven to such desperation by the appearance of the raven. Surely, if one were to commit a murder, they should be prepared to live with the consequences? But the actors and the effects and lighting were excellent, even though Eval spent more time watching Tedronai watching the play, than the play itself. The way the man’s eyes lit up with amusement at the scenes that were undoubtedly meant to be heart-wrenchingly tragic was entertainment in itself.

 

Afterwards, Eval managed to talk their companion into joining them for dinner at one of the most prestigious restaurants in Paraan Disen. The Golden Trident specialised in seafood, which gave it an exotic flair in a city that was nowhere near the ocean. From their table they had a gorgeous view over the city bathed in the golden rays of the sun as it began to creep towards the horizon in the western sky.

They ate mostly in silence; there was only so much to say about the play, and they didn’t exactly have that much in common beyond their affiliation with the Shadow. Eval watched their companion; they would openly admit that they found Tedronai attractive despite the signs of sleeplessness and stress that currently marred the delicate face. Tedronai himself appeared preoccupied, staring out through the glass wall, barely seeming to remember that he had company. Out in the city, streetlights were being lit as the afternoon turned into evening gloom.

The sky was dark by the time they finished their dinner, the latter part of which had mostly consisted of Eval consuming a good amount of expensive wine while Tedronai continued to ignore his dessert. The clock atop a nearby building striking the hour seemed to shake him out of his reverie. He sighed softly. “I suppose I should try to get some sleep tonight,” he said with an almost self-deprecating half-smile and stood up to leave. “Will you allow me to settle the bill?” he asked wryly.

Eval made a dismissive gesture. “Absolutely not,” they replied; even if Tedronai wasn’t one of their usual acquaintances, they had a certain reputation to maintain.

“Very well then,” Tedronai said and turned to go.

“Or you could come back to my place.” Eval nearly dropped they glass when they heard themselves speak the words; they had entertained the thought at several points throughout the day but had never made the decision to actually suggest it. They recovered quickly, though, and by the time Tedronai turned to look back again, they were completely at ease again. They flashed a quick, easy grin. “I’m sure I could help you relax.”

Tedronai arched an eyebrow and the look in his eyes told Eval that he knew exactly what kind of relaxation they had in mind. “I’m sure you could,” he began, but then something in his expression changed and he laughed softly. “Oh, whyever not?”

Eval blinked. They had not expected him to agree. But Tedronai was looking at them with those beautiful midnight eyes of his, at once distant and intense — however that was even possible — and there was something very much like curiosity in that look. “Indeed,” Eval said slowly. “Whyever not.”

 

* * *

 

Eval’s apartment was in the top floor of one of the tallest apartment buildings in Paraan Disen; small compared to the price of the rent, but money was not a problem and they wouldn’t have changed the location or the view for anything. The decor was a combination of functionality and elegance; Eval rarely entertained guests in their home and therefore it didn’t need to be impressive.

“Welcome to my humble abode,” they said with a theatrical flourish as they closed the door behind them.

“ _Humble_ ,” Tedronai repeated wryly, with and appraising look around the livingroom. He walked across the room to stand before the window-wall facing west. “Who did you have to murder for this view?”

Eval smiled at that — which their companion couldn’t see, of course. They took off their coat and flung it carelessly over the back of the couch and walked over to stand next to Tedronai. The view _was_ breathtaking; Paraan Disen was a sea of colourful lights spreading out far below them. This high up the sounds of traffic couldn’t be heard, making the scene all the more surreal with its silently moving vehicles. Eval channelled a delicate weave of Air and Spirit to activate the music box on the shelf on the other side of the room…

“Really, Eval?” Tedronai asked wryly. “Music? Do you take me for one of your… What do you call them? Conquests?”

 _Acquaintances._ “Absolutely not,” Eval replied smoothly.

“Turn it off.” Tedronai’s voice, flat and uncompromising, held no trace of amusement now. It was not a suggestion, and Eval complied without a protest. Only after the fact did they stop to think about what they had just done — taking an order from someone else, in their own home, no less. The realisation made them wonder; they had assumed that they were the one in charge, but perhaps it was time to reassess the situation.

After the silence fell again, Tedronai sighed softly. “That’s better.” Then he turned to face Eval, with a hint of a smile on his lips. “I think you made me an offer,” he said, sounding for all the world as if he was talking about academic research. “Now, correct me if I’m wrong, but I doubt you usually leave it up to your… companions… make the first move.”

Eval could have pointed out that that was not quite right, but starting that conversation right now would kill what was left of the mood and so they merely shrugged, affecting nonchalance. “I thought you didn’t want to be treated like one of my usual acquaintances,” they replied. Tedronai merely arched an eyebrow, and that broke the awkward spell, returning Eval’s confidence along with their temper.

They grasped Tedronai by the shoulders and threw him against the glass wall — it was quite safe, the glass was strong enough that no mere human strength could break it, but Tedronai’s breath caught anyway as he glanced back over his shoulder and panic flashed in the midnight eyes. That was the first unguarded reaction Eval had ever seen from the man, and it was strangely inciting. Gently but firmly, they placed their left hand on the side of Tedronai’s face, turning his head and effectively blocking his view of the fall behind him. And kissed him on the lips. Hard.

A strangled gasp escaped the man’s throat as Eval thrust their hips forward, pinning him firmly against the wall. With their right hand they unbuttoned Tedronai’s coat — they were quite adept at doing such things with one hand — but getting the tight-fitting garment off was a more difficult task. “Some help here, perhaps?” they murmured into Tedronai’s ear even as they moved their hand down to unbuckle his belt.

With an exasperated sound, Tedronai rid himself of the coat and let it fall to the floor at their feet. With profoundly uncharacteristic hesitation he then placed his hand on Eval’s chest, and for a fleeting moment Eval was acutely aware of their own heartbeat against the man’s palm. Then Tedronai’s mouth was on theirs again, demanding their attention. They gave it wholeheartedly.

 

Afterwards Eval couldn’t be quite sure how they had ever made it to the bedroom. They half suspected they’d still be finding miscellaneous, hurriedly shed items of clothing in unlikely places days from now. The thought made them snort softly in amusement, which caught the attention of the man lying next to them.

“Do tell me what amuses you so,” Tedronai said. His voice fell somewhat short of its usual coolly detached quality, which made Eval’s smile widen.

“Oh, nothing,” they replied. “Not you at least,” they hurried to add once they realised that the answer was not very convincing. “Trust me.” They glanced at their companion, who wasn’t looking back at them but staring up at the ceiling. In the dim light — provided only by the lights of the city and the not quite full moon out in the sky, filtered through the blinds — Tedronai’s pale skin seemed to glow in contrast with the dark sheets. He had a perfect profile, Eval noted idly. And very nearly perfect composure; Eval had never met anyone who could be so detached and dignified and… so _in control_ even in the throes of pleasure. They considered it something of a victory that they had, in the end, made him cry out as he reached his climax.

 

“No regrets, I hope?” Eval asked after another while of silence. The question probably shouldn’t have been relevant with somebody like Tedronai — the man could hardly be seduced if he didn’t want to be — but there was an unexpected vulnerability about him that made Eval unsure of where they stood.

Tedronai snorted without looking at them. “Should I have?”

“I take that’s a no,” Eval replied smoothly, suppressing a spike of irritation. Right now, that was remarkably easy.

 

Another few moments passed, and Eval was just trying to figure out a way to ask — without sounding overly attached — whether Tedronai might be interested in repeating the evening some time, when he suddenly got up and began to gather his clothes from the floor. “What exactly do you think you’re doing?” Eval asked, pushing themselves up into half-sitting position.

“Leaving,” Tedronai replied as he pulled his trousers on and proceeded to look for something else.

Eval groaned inwardly; they really didn’t want to have to move just yet, but Tedronai seemed to be serious and so they got out of bed as well and shrugged into a dressing robe. “Don’t be an idiot, Elan,” they began, then shook their head in exasperation when the man didn’t as much as look their way. “…And going where? Home? So you can sit in your office for the rest of the night, thinking about tomorrow, and then fall over from exhaustion in the middle of the Hall of Servants? That’ll be sure to impress Lews Therin.”

Tedronai froze midway of pulling on his shirt. “And you would suggest I do what, instead?”

That was easy to answer. “Get your ass back to bed. Sleep.” Eval knew they was acting in a way that someone might interpret as ‘caring’ — but if there was someone they could trust to not make that mistake, it was Elan Morin Tedronai. They laid a hand on Tedronai’s arm — in the darkness their brown skin looked almost black against his ivory complexion. “Look, I’ll sleep on the couch. You can even put up any wards you like.”

A faint smile twitched the corners of the man’s mouth. “That’s rather excessive, isn’t it?” he said wryly, not really a question. Then he spread his hands in a gesture of indifference. “Oh, whatever.” He let the shirt fall back to the floor and turned and all but fell back to bed. With a distractingly smooth motion he pulled the sheet up to cover himself and turned his back to Eval, who was left staring in wry amusement as the man took over their bed, just like that. They were fairly certain Elan was asleep as soon as his head touched the pillow.

 

Eval wandered to the livingroom, poured a glass of brandy and gazed out through the glass wall. Tomorrow — or it probably was ‘tomorrow’ already… In the morning, no matter what Tedronai said about the unchanging nature of the world, the world would change. The world was what people made of it; any rhetoric trying to explain that the world and the people living in it were entirely separate things was just so much philosophical drivel. With that thought, they set the empty glass aside and stretched out on the couch, hoping to catch a few hours of sleep, too.

When they woke up in the early hours of morning, Tedronai was gone.


End file.
